Our time in Wanaka came to an end this morning and we loaded up our rental car and headed out of town, bound for the little town of Twizel, which is near Aoraki/Mt. Cook in the middle of the South Island. The drive was very scenic, with terrain that reminded us of Eastern Oregon, Wyoming and Montana. It was a winding two-lane road with moderate traffic going in both directions. We took our time, which meant we kept it under 80 km/hour, and just about everyone passed us going much faster.
Along the way we saw the herds of sheep that we've come to associate with New Zealand (there are 8 sheep for every human), herds of cattle, wildflowers and farmland. For the first time we saw the big motorized sprinkling rigs that are pretty common in Colorado and Nebraska. Irrigation water comes from the many lakes and rivers that are fed by glaciers. Those same rivers provide hydroelectric power to the country.
As we got closer to Twizel, we saw glacier-fed lakes with water that was a green-blue or aqua color. At one of them there was a sign for "fresh salmon." We pulled in to the parking lot and walked out to the holding ponds where they were raising salmon. Sandra couldn't resist and bought 1 filet, 4 pieces, amounting to half the fish for $14.00. We brought it back to our "chalet" and she fried it with some vegetables for dinner.
Keep in mind this is the woman who spent most of her life in Alaska and was accustomed to the finest salmon possible, usually caught in the wild, cold rivers that provided spawning grounds for the fish. So these didn't measure up. The water was warm, the meat was very soft and the flavor was not even close. But it was a salmon and we ate and pretended.
We checked in at the Mountain Chalets Motel and then got back in the car for a trip up to Mt. Cook which also goes by its Maori name Aoraki. It's the highest point in New Zealand. At its base is the Sir Edmund Hilary Visitor Center. This is where he did some of his training before he set out for Antarctica and following his successful climb up Mt. Everest. Pretty impressive. Lots of photos and displays and of course lots of stuff for sale in the gift shop. How about a Merino sweater or shirt for only $284? We almost bought a postcard, but resisted.
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| Ubiquitous sheep |
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| Lake Pukaki |
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| At Mountain Chalets, Twizel |
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| Mt. Cook/Aoraki, New Zealand's highest point |
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